Windows 7 Can't find XP Product ID for Laptop

[2ndwindranch]

I have 3 computers here at home 1 64 bit Vista (newer laptop), and fairly beefy XP desktop, then my older but not too outdated laptop running XP. It is this 3rd laptop here that I'm worried about upgrading. I want to do clean installs on all 3 machines. I'm worried about what to do or what the install will be expecting during the installation of the older laptop? Does it want me to type in a Product ID, insert a XP CD, or ??? Can I use a product ID from the other XP OS (as a workaround?). I can't find the sticker or anything anywhere for this one?

 

[tblount]

Windows 7 doesn't care about any keycode except for Windows 7.

 

[Saltgrass]

It just requires an installed, activated qualified OS. XP works for this, but you cannot do an in-place upgrade so you can keep you programs. You will have to do a Custom(clean) install.

What you do not want to do is format the XP install before you start the upgrade. Make sure and backup all your files.

 

[tblount]

But when you do a "clean install" from a disk... it won't take your upgrade key... unless you either have deleted ei.cfg before you burned the disk... or you do the trick with some registry tweaks, rearm and then reboot.

alos, if you stuff the DR files into an iso and use unetbootin to build a bootable install usb... when you install that way it allows you to use the upgrade keycode without any tweaks.. to a new hard drive without any evidence of xp or vista.